


The Blue and the Gray

by Bofur1



Series: The Two Blue Wizards [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fili thinks he's crazy, Kili has a suspicion, Poor Bombur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-20
Updated: 2013-06-20
Packaged: 2017-12-15 14:35:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/850676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Bofur1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kíli is certain that the Company's innocent chef is hiding something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Blue and the Gray

**Author's Note:**

  * For [in_a_blog_in_the_ground](https://archiveofourown.org/users/in_a_blog_in_the_ground/gifts).



> For my buddy, who helps me when I'm bored by giving me great ideas like this!
> 
>  
> 
> For any interested, prompt is in end notes

“You’re not serious!” Fíli said incredulously. What Kíli was saying was one of the most ridiculous things he’d come up with since he’d once said that Thorin shaved to look young.

“It’s true!” Kíli insisted. “I saw Bombur do something to the food! I’ve been watching. He does it to every meal! See, he waves his hands like this,” Kíli demonstrated a back-and-forth motion, “and then says something to go along with it. I can never hear what he’s saying, but it looks fishy!”

“A nice pun there, Kee,” Fíli replied, amused as he glanced at their frying tilapia supper. At Kíli’s sullen expression, Fíli rolled his eyes. “Look. Bombur probably waves his hands like that to cool it off. You saw that one time when the chawettys caught fire!”

“But they were perfectly fine when he served them on the plates!” Kíli pointed out triumphantly. It was true—the tarts filled with spice-saturated pork had been positively divine, even having been charred.

“He scraped the burnt bits off,” Fíli sighed. “And what you said about his talking to the food? He’s _Bombur_ , Kíli! That’s probably why he never talks to us. He uses up his voice on our supper!”

Kíli’s nose scrunched up. “You know what I think? I think that Bombur’s a Wizard and I’m going to tell him so. Tonight.”

Fíli stared at him in disbelief. “Kíli, you’re making a mistake. How could Bombur be a Wizard? You heard Gandalf when the Halfling asked him; there are only five Wizards in Middle Earth—”

“Yes, I heard him,” Kíli declared, “and he also said that he couldn’t remember the names of the two Blue Wizards! What if Bombur is one of them? Maybe Gandalf really _could_ remember one of their names—Bombur—and just didn’t want to tell us that it was a member of the Company! Maybe Gandalf is in on it!”

“There is no _‘it’_ , Kíli! You’re being absurd!”

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

“ _Boys_.” Fíli and Kíli turned in surprise to find Uncle Thorin standing behind them. Neither of them had realized that their voices had been growing louder as they bickered. Now the whole Company was looking at them curiously.

“You’re disturbing the peace,” Thorin said sharply. “Apologize.”

“We’re sorry,” the two mumbled together, flushing as they shuffled towards Bombur and their supper. After everyone had gone back to their own doings, Kíli whispered, “I still think—”

“Sod off, Kee,” Fíli muttered. “I’m trying to eat.”

Kíli huffed and stabbed at his tilapia. As he ate, he once again marveled at how perfect it tasted. Even the slightly crisp edges, which he usually cut off, were wonderful. Abnormally wonderful.

Setting aside his plate, Kíli eyed Bombur, who was cooking up a fresh batch of fish for anyone who wanted seconds. He watched sulkily as Bombur discreetly did his little hand-dance and formed quiet words that he couldn’t hear.

Mustering up his courage, Kíli stood and strode over with purpose. Fíli saw him leave and groaned under his breath. _Here it comes,_ he sighed in his thoughts.

“’Scuse me, Bombur?” Kíli ventured, crossing his arms in what he thought was a casual, but attention-grabbing manner.

Bombur nodded politely at him. “Prince Kíli,” he greeted.

“Oh, you don’t have to do all that ‘prince’ stuff,” Kíli said, waving a hand dismissively.

That brought Thorin’s glance over. He was rather surprised by Kíli’s statement. His younger nephew usually shone with pride at being called a prince and now he was rejecting it?

“It’s proper that I do,” Bombur replied, deftly flipping the fish.

“Not really,” Kíli stated, “seeing as you’re much more powerful than I am.”

Bombur looked confused and rather startled. “What...?”

Kíli pounced. “I’ve seen your little hand motions you make over the food. I’ve even seen you talking to the food! You do it with every meal; don’t try to lie, I’ve seen it. And what I want to know is why? What do you do to our meals? Do you use magic to make it so great? Is there something you aren’t telling us?”

Bombur gaped at the prince for a long moment. His eyes slid toward his brother and cousin. Even by the firelight he could see that Bifur’s face was ashen pale, and Bofur’s neck and shoulders had stiffened considerably.

When Bombur neither affirmed nor denied his questions, Kíli jabbed a finger at him, a triumphant grin spreading on his face. “I knew it! You’re one of the Wizards, aren’t you?! One of the Blue Ones! Gandalf knows too, doesn’t he?!”

“I...erm...” Bombur stammered.

“So now the question is why do you put magic in our food?” Kíli demanded. “Is your cooking actually not that great and so you’re trying to deceive us into thinking it is? Is that it?”

“Kíli, lad,” Balin began in sympathy for Bombur. “I don’t think—”

“ _I’ve. Seen. It!_ ” Kíli cried again, swiftly silencing the elder Dwarf. Kíli looked back to the flustered cook. “All I want, Bombur, is for you to admit it. Admit you’re one of the Blue Wizards and I’ll be satisfied.”

Now every member of the Company had their eyes trained on poor Bombur, who was blushing and stuttering and wringing his hands. At last, someone spoke.

“Ye got us, laddie,” Bofur professed wearily, getting to his feet. “M’ brother is one of th’ Blue Wizards. An’ I’m th’ other.”

A ripple of astonishment spread throughout the Company, including Kíli. He hadn't even suspected Bofur!

“Why...why didn’t you tell us?” Thorin demanded angrily. “All this time you could have used your powers for the good of this quest! Slain the Trolls, the Orcs—”

Bofur was already shaking his head. “Bombur an’ I have just a small bit o’ magic in our blood. We do small things. Mine goes into m’ carving. I only use it t’ get around difficult edges an’ such. Bombur’s magic goes into th’ food. We can’t use it fer much else, except maybe t’ heal a bruise or two.”

“But you haven’t said why you never told us,” Balin pointed out.

Bofur twisted his floppy hat in his hands and murmured, “Gandalf.”

All turned to the Gray Wizard as he announced, “I told them to keep it hidden for as long as possible. But,” he turned his steel blue eyes on Kíli, “it seems the eyes of the young are sharper than I supposed.”

“Ye don’t know how unbear’ble it was t’ act like we’d nev’r met Radagast before,” Bofur murmured. “An’ when Bilbo was askin’ Gandalf about great Wizards an’ all that, well, not only did I wet meself, I pretty nearly spilled th’ beans. But, ye all know now an’ if ye ask it we’ll return home an’ leave ye in peace. The choice is yers.”

There was a long, stifling silence. All could see Thorin was debating with himself. After a moment the heir to the Mountain snorted and chomped down on his tilapia. “Well, there’s no reason to give up good food, even if it’s laced with enchantment,” he grumbled.

“And besides,” Kíli put in. “There will likely be some bruises to be healed.”

Every Wizard there was thankful to hear it.

**Author's Note:**

> My prompt from in_a_blog_in_the_ground: "...What if Bombur was a wizard?" 
> 
> I got really excited, and then I added a little somethin else: Bofur is one too, surprise! Hope I portrayed it well and that you all enjoyed! please oh please comment! also, fyi, there might be more to this story someday...:7


End file.
